Neon lamps and Krypton 85

You don’t have to be Superman (or even just use phone booths as changing stations) to find this author’s recent research results disturbing.

I was recently looking for some information about neon lamps when I came across a series of websites with content which, courtesy of my blissful naïveté, I found rather jarring. I merged a collection of screen shots into one image for your ease of perusal (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Warning: this collection of screen shots may be angst-inducing.

Looking further into the “radioactive additive” matter, I found a paper about that Krypton stuff (PDF). And looking further yet, I came across two more screen shots, which IMHO are very much deserving of your attention (Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 2 This screenshot’s information covers Krypton 85 itself.

Figure 3 And this screenshot discusses Kr-85’s uses and cancer risks.

Having been jolted into newfound awareness of the presence of radioactive material where I would never have expected it (due, again, to my own naïveté, of course.), I am reminded of how exposure to lead has been recently recognized as having no minimum exposure level that can be considered safe for anyone. Leaded gasoline, for example, is now out of use.

Mercury exposure is another example. And X-ray exposure effects are of similar concern, albeit minimally accepted only as necessary for medical diagnostics purposes.

My sense is that the same “no minimum acceptable exposure” rule should also apply to radiation exposure from electronics components, with regard to the possibilities of “cancer induction”. And right now, for lack of such, one should handle Krypton 85-bearing items with some care and, if accidentally broken, with extreme care. Although what precise steps would be called for, I do not know.

John Dunn is an electronics consultant and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York University (MSEE).

Related Content

• Radon sensor embeds sizeable alpha particle detector
• Radon: Level detection, risk determination, and as-needed mitigation
• My Geiger counter doesn’t count (sob sob)

The post Neon lamps and Krypton 85 appeared first on EDN.